


I'll Stand By You

by Mamacita5012



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-13 11:28:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21493549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamacita5012/pseuds/Mamacita5012
Summary: AU where teenage Diego stands up for Klaus before things get so shitty for them both.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Kudos: 44





	1. Looking for Answers

The moon is hiding behind the constant stream of clouds floating by, and the cold, windy night air is burning his throat. He silently chastises himself for forgetting his hat and gloves, as he pops up his coat collar, shrugs his shoulders so his ears are slightly covered, and shoves his hands deeper into his pockets. 

Diego doesn't even know why he's out here, in the middle of the night, looking for his brother. Again. 

He knows it's pointless; this is the sixth night in a row he's snuck out of Klaus's window and down the fire escape. Diego could never seem to leave his own room in time to catch Klaus before he left. He was too scared to keep his light on, knowing Sir would come to see why he was awake so late. Once his lights were out, he always fell asleep almost instantly from the sheer exhaustion of training with Luther all day, only to wake hours later with a start. Then he'd run silently through the darkened hallway, only to find Klaus's room already empty. 

Tonight he had even tried a new technique to keep himself awake: recalling old memories of him and Klaus as younger children. Back before puberty hit, before things had gotten so...confusing.

The times they spent standing side by side on step stools in the kitchen, learning how to make the perfect smiley face pancakes with Grace. Chasing each other up to the attic, to lay sprawled out on the dusty floor on their stomachs with an old National Geographic magazine between them, sniggering at the nude photos of people in faraway places. Facing off for leg wars on the living room couch, pushing against each other's bare feet so hard they'd both end up on the floor, limbs tangled and gasping for breath between giggles. 

He thought recalling these memories would help keep him awake, so he could get to his brother in time, before he left. But they only had the opposite effect. He'd been so happy, so content in each of his recollections, he'd relaxed; he closed his exhausted eyes with a sweet smile, and drifted into an easy sleep. 

Now he's in some dark creepy alley, hours later, with a raging headache from getting such little sleep all week, looking for his brother. Again. 

And Sir, in his regular sadistic fashion, has seemed to notice the dark circles under Diego's eyes, and only increased his training. He's been working them both so hard, Diego could tell that even Luther was getting worn down from the constant sparring. 

But he has to keep looking, he has to find Klaus. He needs to find out where he's been going all night, why he's looked so fidgety at dinner, and why he's nowhere to be found all day. More importantly, he needs to know why Klaus has stopped sneaking into Diego's room every night. Diego has a guess, but he's not sure he'd like the answer. 

As far as the less important questions go, Diego can only assume that if his and Luther’s training had been increased, Klaus’s probably had too (whatever that entails). But Diego wouldn’t know for sure, because he hasn't been able to speak to Klaus since...

No, he wouldn't let himself think about that night. Not now. He didn't have time to feel guilty, he needed to find Klaus. To explain himself. To get some answers. 

He’s already been down this alley. Twice, in fact. He can hear the same music, with its annoying, pulsing beat clawing at his already pounding head. It’s coming faintly through the back door of some club up ahead, and Diego can’t bring himself to get any closer. He turns around to find some other dark alley to search through, when the music suddenly gets louder.

Diego turns to see the club’s back door being thrown open, and two people practically fly through it into the dark alley. The door closes quickly behind them, and the deafening music is thankfully once again dulled. He walks toward them, gripping the picture he stole from Reginald’s office in his pocket. The one he uses to ask people on the street if they’ve seen Klaus.

As he gets closer, he realizes they’re arguing. Or, more accurately, one of them is yelling while the other cowers beneath him, kneeling on the cold dirty ground. Diego’s not really sure he wants to get in the middle of, whatever this is, so he just stands there, watching like an idiot. The one on the ground seems to be switching between pulling pathetically at the bottom of the screaming man’s jacket, and covering his own ears. Then suddenly, Diego sees him stand up, and he’s screaming “Shut up!” in the taller guy’s face.

All the blood drains from Diego’s face as he realizes what he should have realized two minutes ago, and he runs to help his brother. 


	2. Someone Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus goes out looking for some peace and quiet.

It’s all wrong. This guy is too old, that music is too quiet, those screams are too loud, and Klaus’s brain is too fuzzy. 

He had tried to make last night’s stash last, he _really did_. But with every extra visit to the mausoleum, the screams just got louder and louder, and without Di---

Well, Klaus couldn’t help it; he swallowed them all down in a matter of minutes. 

So now he’s right back where he started--crashing fast, with no one to help him keep the ghosts at bay and no money to buy more pills. 

This new guy was an easy target; he couldn’t keep his eyes (or his hands) off Klaus from the moment he picked the lock and snuck in through the back door. 

He looks different in the bathroom light though--too old, too hairy, and frankly, a little frightening.

But, promises have been made and Klaus will do anything to get some peace. Peace and quiet and peace of mind.

He’s new at this, but he thinks he’s got the gist. It’s easier when they give him something first, to numb his thoughts. But this guy’s not the gentlemanly type, and Klaus knows he’ll have to finish before scoring that precious little baggie. 

It’s going...ok, given the circumstances, until suddenly the stall door is thrown open and hits Klaus on the back of the head, pushing him forward fast enough to choke, as his hands crash past the guy's legs and into the toilet seat. Someone else is there, yanking him off the floor by the back of his shirt, and screaming at them both to get out. 

The bouncer drags Klaus out of the bathroom in one hand, pushing the scary, hairy guy ahead of him. When they get to the back door, the bouncer throws them out, and tells Klaus to stop sneaking in, or his underage ass will get them all arrested. 

A sudden rush of cold air isn’t the only thing that has Klaus’s body shaking, as he realizes he left his jacket in the bathroom stall and he still doesn’t have any drugs. _Shit, he’s gonna freeze tonight. _

“You’re underage?!” 

Klaus is suddenly given a third reason to shake, as scary guy huffs angrily in front of him, sending goosebumps down his spine. 

“No! I’m 18!” Klaus lies. 

He’s just so cold, but sweat shines on his forehead and his body won’t stop shaking. He has to get that baggie, but the guy is suddenly yelling some more, right up in Klaus’s face. 

So Klaus does what he’s learned to do this past week--he drops to his knees, pleading in the dark, dirty alley. He can’t think straight; he’s pulling on scary guy’s jacket. He’s sweating, he’s shaking, and that stubborn fucking ghost won’t leave him the hell alone. 

He tries covering his ears to drown out the screams, but then he can’t hear scary guy, and what if he gives Klaus another chance? He _needs_ to get that baggie. 

Then suddenly the ghost is moving, fast, right toward Klaus. And he's got one scary guy screaming in his face, and one scary ghost screaming in his ear, and that’s it. He loses it. 

“Shut up!” Klaus shouts to the ghost, standing to move away from its creepy stare. 

He realizes what he’s done an instant too late, and scary guy is grabbing him with both hands by the shirt collar and screaming in his face even louder. 

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” scary guy yelled, as Klaus babbles incoherently. How was he supposed to explain those words weren’t meant for scary guy, that Klaus was just talking to a ghost instead? 

His head is pounding and his brain is still fuzzy and his palms are sweating and scary guy is dragging him through the alley by his shirt and it’s all just too much. 

So Klaus stops--he stops screaming, stops fighting, stops caring. 

He wants, he _needs_ Diego. 

That’s _all_ he needs--to be back in Diego’s bed, a mass of tangled limbs and sheets, their shared warmth keeping the ghosts away, before everything went to shit. 

But he knows he can’t have that again...

He also knows what comes next--what happens every time it all becomes too much. The mausoleum, the missions, the withdrawals, Diego, _Ben_.

So he closes his eyes and waits for it. He lets his body go limp and the panic settle in. 

But just before he blacks out completely, he could swear he hears someone calling his name. 

Someone familiar.

Someone _familial_. 

“Klaus!”

“Diego?” he whimpers, as scary guy drags him God knows where to do God knows what. 

“Klaus!”

“Diego” he breathes, as everything fades to black.


End file.
